Runaway Heart: A Learren Fanfic
by manda.marie20
Summary: Darren and Lea's trials and tribulations through their relationship. Lea must suddenly move to New York, and Darren isn't so sure if he should go or stay in LA.
1. Chapter 1

RUNNING.  
>The heartfelt goodbyes had just started, yet they were so close to the end. Lea was finally leaving for New York.<br>She got the part in a new play titled, "Runaway Heart." To Darren, that was the title of his life.  
>Lea had all of her pink Chanel bags packed, ready to leave L.A. just in time to catch her 7 o'clock sharp flight. From this far away, she looked like she packed light, with only two suitcases and a carry-on.<br>Running. Running. Running.  
>This was it...<br>He couldn't help but let his mind wander back to earlier the day before.

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Darren had come early to help Lea pack the rest of her things that were to be shipped to NY later. He had been to her house before to celebrate the end of their Glee tour. But it was the first time he had ever seen her room.  
>It was magnificent, but he wouldn't expect anything less than perfection. Her walls were painted an ivory color, with pictures taped all over them, that she obviously hadn't thought to pack away yet. While Lea went downstairs to go get some tape to seal the boxes, Darren walked over and admired the photographs.<br>There were pictures of her and the whole cast. In one, Chris was giving her a piggyback ride and her mouth was open, as if she were screaming in joy. Another was of her and Diana with their arms wrapped around each other in a tight embrace, smiling at the camera.  
>He couldn't find any with just him and Lea, until he looked on the wall to his right. There were actually several pictures of him and her. Ones where it looked like they just happened to be standing in the same proximity of each other. There was one that caught his eye, though, and made him double take.<br>This picture stood out from all the rest on the wall. Not only because it was in black and white, but that it was of him kissing her hair at the last show of the tour. He squinted his eyes, making sure he wasn't just imagining it.  
>Nope. It was there all right.<br>Darren's heart skipped a little as he thought of why she had this picture on her wall. Hell, he wondered why he had his own WALL dedicated to him and Lea.  
>"Okay, so I got some tape..." Lea said, approaching her room. Darren snapped out of his wonderment and turned around to face her with a welcoming smile. She hesitantly returned the smile, as if she was caught off guard by it.<br>He walked over to her bed where she laid down all of the tape rolls as he shoved his hands inside his pockets. He gazed into her eyes as she rambled on about unimportant things. Her hair was put up in a tight ponytail, with a few stray pieces. She blew her bangs out of her eyes as she bent over to get the pair of scissors that were on the floor.  
>She was so beautiful. Darren wished he could just muster up enough courage to tell her that. But he knew that she wouldn't want to start anything serious when she was about to leave for a whole year... or more. He shook the last thought out of his head. It was too hard, thinking that he would most likely never see her except for on holidays, let alone ever.<br>He took a deep breath, exhaled, and tried to concentrate on what she was telling him. "... so those boxes over there are ready to be taped up, and the other ones on this side aren't done yet." she explained.  
>"Okay. I'll get the ones that are ready for tape." he replied. He grabbed a roll and headed over toward the open boxes that lined the wall. They had been written on with scrawled handwriting, unmistakably identified as Lea's.<br>"Awards." "Winter Clothes." "Baby Memories." were just a few of the many things that were written on the side and tops of the boxes. He ran his fingers over the writing and could tell that the words had been written hastily, like she had no time to spare on silly things like labeling.  
>Darren laughed to himself as he saw a Teddy bear on the top of a stack in the box titled "Baby Memories." He gingerly picked it up, studying every detail with curious eyes.<br>"What?" Lea asked as she walked over toward Darren, as a result of his laugh. She laughed too as she drew closer to Darren and knelt down beside him. "This... is Mr. Fuzzy." she said with a dramatic pause in the middle of her sentence. She laughed again, most likely at the memories that popped into her head. "I have so many memories with that bear. I put it through hell." she said with a liquid voice.  
>Darren turned his eyes away from the bear to look at Lea. The way she held on to such important memories like they were priceless jewels was adorable. After a minute of, well... staring at her, Lea finally turned her eyes to meet his.<br>When their eyes locked, the whole room disappeared to Darren. Nothing was to be seen but her gorgeous face, how the light in her room fell on her face, making shadows. He licked his lips in desire. He wanted her. He wanted to be her "one in a million." He wanted to be the man who could call her his and hold her close in her weak times. To be the one who caught all her tears during life's bumps, and the one to soak up every ounce of her beaming smile.  
>He wanted to be the one who MADE her smile.<br>He wanted her. Now more than ever. With her face so close to his, he couldn't resist the sudden urge to kiss her, to tell her how he felt. Without warning he gingerly put his hand on her cheek. She closed her eyes and smiled, and Darren smiled in return. He moved a millimeter toward her face, and she made no movement against his action.  
>His eyes studied her face once more before giving in to her. He moved his face closer to hers until his lips met hers. It was a gentle brush, but the electricity was there between them all the same. He heard Lea exhale softly as they sat there in silence for what seemed like hours, with their faces still centimeters apart. He tried to kiss her again, going in to meet her lips, but before he knew it, she was already on his lips.<br>It took him a second to realize that SHE had gone back in for the second kiss. He didn't care who initiated it, really, he just was so exhilarated that it was finally happening. She entangled her fingers in his short hair near the nape of his neck, making him slightly whimper, giving into her more.  
>He could barley control himself. He was finally kissing her. The girl of his dreams.<br>They kissed for what seemed like an eternity, and finally Darren pulled away in defeat. He couldn't take anymore because it would eat away at him when she left, and he knew it. After kissing her lightly once more, he pulled away reluctantly. He pressed his forehead against hers and kept his eyes closed.  
>They sat in silence except for their heavy breathing for a long time. He gently pulled his head away from hers and she tried to go back in for another kiss.<br>"No, damn it." he thought, trying to fight the urge that welled up in him again. "You're going to hurt later from this. You're going to-" he was cut off short as her lips met his and the doubtful thoughts melted away once more.  
>After a few more minutes of being entertained with each other, Darren pulled away. He tried to contain himself, but it was so hard with her perfect features so close to his lips. He would kiss every inch of her body if he had the chance to.<br>Lea opened her eyes eventually after he pulled away. They both let the unspoken words linger between them for a while. It was like they could read each other's mind effortlessly, like they were linked internally. They both knew, for sure now, how they felt about each other.  
>Darren laughed quietly to himself as he quickly kissed her once more before standing up and offering her his hand. She put her hand in his and he helped pull her up off the floor. Once she was up, though, he didn't let go of her. Instead he moved both of his hands to her hips and started swaying back and forth.<br>At first, Lea had no idea what he was doing, but it didn't take her long to catch on. She put her arms around his neck and started to sway along with him. He began to hum his song "Not Alone" as they danced. He spun her as she laughed, a smile spread widely across her face.  
>Darren closed his eyes. He let the magic of the moment swallow him whole. As he drew his song to a close, he pulled away from the tight embrace they were in to kiss her again. He couldn't stand the thought of her leaving him the next day. He kissed her passionately, pressing his lips against hers with a huge force. Lea started moving toward the floor again, dragging him with her.<br>He put her down on the soft carpet, with her back down, as he gently laid his body on hers. Their bodies fit together perfectly, like pieces of a puzzle. He kissed her face all over, making note to not miss a single centimeter.  
>The moment he was in took over his body like a crashing wave. He couldn't get up. It was almost as if he and Lea were glued together. After he couldn't breathe anymore without heaving, he pulled away from her and laid his head on her chest, listening to her racing heart.<br>COMPLETE. That was the only word that could describe Darren during that moment. He felt complete. Like he had been missing a part of him for the longest time, and had finally found it after a long, exhausting search.  
>They laid like that for who knows how long, with Darren playing with a strand of Lea's hair as she smiled delicately. But suddenly they heard the front door open and his eyes sprung open. He jolted off of her and offered his hand to her again to help her up... For good this time.<br>He sighed as he smiled and looked into her eyes again before trying to fix his clothes. They were all jumbled up from their many make out sessions throughout the day. He tried to fix his hair by running his hands though it in defeat. There was no way in hell he could fix it. "Oh well." he said to himself.  
>When he turned his attention back to Lea, she was running a brush through her tangled ponytail. After trying to fix it for several minutes more, she took it out of the ponytail holder and shook it free.<br>"Mmmm. I like this look better." Darren said as he wrapped his arms around her waist and smiled into the mirror in front of them. As he was looking at them in the mirror on the wall, with smiles on both of their faces, he realized how good they looked together.  
>Reality sunk in after a while though. She was leaving tomorrow. They could never be together. That, to Darren, was a punch in the stomach. He wanted to cry so badly, but he didn't want to upset Lea anymore than she would already be. His eyes burned with tears, and no matter how hard he tried to shake it from his mind, he couldn't. He knew tomorrow would come eventually, and along with that would come heartbreak.<br>Lea turned her head in his direction. "Dare... Are you crying?" she said incredulously. He hadn't even noticed that he had been letting tears go from his eyes, hot and wet as they rolled down his face. The pain was too much to bear.  
>"Why do you have to leave, Lea?" he asked pleadingly. His tears started to blur his vision, making it to where he couldn't see Lea's expression. She led him over to her bed and sat him down next to her.<br>"I HAVE to go to New York, Dare. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity..." she said placing one hand softly on the left side of his face. I guess you don't understand how important this is to me. But believe me, after today, I'd give anything to stay here, with you. Darren, this is just as hard for me as it is for you. I'm sorry. I don't know what to do." she replied sadly.  
>"But Lea, you don't understand how this will be for me. For US. If you didn't go, we could be together." He took her hand in his. "...You say that this is a once in a lifetime opportunity, but YOU are a once in a lifetime girl. I can't just... let you go, out of my life for good. You're too important to me to lose that easily." Darren answered sincerely.<br>She contemplated her next thought throughly before saying it aloud. "Come with me, Darren. Come to New York."  
>He was in shock. He swore his jaw hit the floor. Did she REALLY just ask him to come with her to NEW YORK? He had a life in LA; hell, SHE had a life there. He couldn't just leave it all behind. It's not like they could just... elope. It just wasn't that easy, but boy, did he wish it was.<br>"Lea, darling, I can't just leave... EVERYTHING I have here. This place is my life. I've never even looked into living in NY... I'm just not so sure I could, no matter how much I would want to."  
>"Dare, come on. Is your life here really THAT important? I mean, sure, you have a good paying career in musical theatre, so why can't you just find a Broadway show to do? I'm sure you wouldn't have any trouble with that, considering how big you are in the media's eye right now. I can only imagine how many places would die to have you work for them, Broadway or not." she stated matter-of-factly.<br>"Lea, I just can't do that. I'm sorry-" he said, trying to make his point. It wasn't getting through to her, obviously, when she yanked her hand free of his.  
>"No, Darren, I'M sorry. I should have known you'd not want any part of my crazy life. Just forget it." she said with hostility, her voice raising an octave.<br>Darren stared at her in extreme confusion. His triangle eyebrows furrowed and his tears stopped abruptly. He couldn't believe his ears. Two minutes ago he would have NEVER expected something so... POISONOUS to exit her angelic lips. He was taken aback by her statement and sat, overwhelmed in shock.  
>Lea gave him the meanest look she could muster up. "You know, Darren," ( it had really started to frustrate him that she started using his full name when she was mad) "I don't even care anymore. Just go along and live your happy little life here in LA. Go find yourself someone to be with who will put up with your selfishness. Because it won't be me."<br>At that, Darren collected what was left of his pride and stood up off of the bed. He sourly said goodbye to Lea and left her house. As he walked down the bottommost flight of stairs he saw Lea's mom had come to help her pack. That, from what he was guessing, was who had come in earlier when he and Lea had been- He fiercely shook the memory from his mind as soon as it came.  
>"Lea?" her mom questioned. Darren just gave her a look of "Go to hell." she looked offended, and slightly confused. She started toward the stairs to check on Lea as Darren walked through the front doorway and slammed it shut.<p>

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	2. Chapter 2

'Go find yourself someone to be with who will put up with your selfishness. Because it won't be me.'  
>Those sharp words from Lea haunted him the whole way home. It seemed like every song on the radio reminded him of her. He couldn't escape the torture he was putting himself through. It was too hard to force her out of his mind, especially after kissing her and indirectly expressing his feelings for her.<br>As he licked his lips, he had a slight taste of Lea's mouth that had lingered on his from earlier. He suddenly felt like such a bad person. What had he DONE? He ruined his chance to finally be with Lea.  
>He slammed his hand against the steering wheel with so much force that it shook the whole car. "DAMN IT!" he yelled at the top of his lungs. Why did he have to ruin EVERYTHING good he had going for him? He could never win.<br>Hot tears made their way down his face again as he started to think that he had lost her forever. After today, though, he didn't know if he would even forgive himself for what he did.  
>He eventually drove up to his apartment building with tears so heavy they made his vision swim. His regular parking spot was open, which was about the only good thing that had happened that day without a bad ending.<br>After turning the car off, he sat in his seat for another ten minutes trying to calm down. He started to dry his tears and finally made himself stop hyperventilating. His eyes looked bloodshot when he looked at them in his rearview mirror. He rubbed them as he inhaled then blew out a long, forced breath.  
>After he had gathered himself, he opened the door to his Mercedes and climbed out. He grabbed his empty coffee cup from earlier that morning. Darren shut the door behind him and clicked the LOCK button on the keyless entry remote. The car beeped twice.<br>He walked slowly toward the door numbered 134. Fumbling with his keys on his key ring, he finally found the one with the pink paint on it. He put it in the deadbolt and turned it until he heard a CLICK. He proceeded to push open the door and set his keys on the small table near the door. The light switch was near his hand already, so he just slightly moved it up and bumped the lights to ON.  
>He moved almost robotically through his home. The routine was, sadly, well known to him; Throw away coffee cup. Walk into bedroom. Change clothes. Go back to kitchen. Open beer. Sit on couch. Drown in sorrows. It seemed like he had been doing that for a while now.<br>The TV remote was right next to him on the coffee table, but it felt like it would take the remaining strength of every fiber of his being to reach for it.  
>He quickly decided to sit in silence... And think. But the problem with that was that all he could think about was Lea. How he hurt her. How he-<br>He stopped himself short. "Stop beating yourself up about it, man. She's just a girl." he said to himself as he took a big swig from his beer. After failing to forget about her, even after the self-initiated pep-talk, he gave up. He couldn't just push her out of his mind forever. She was more than "just a girl" to him.  
>All the feelings he had for her overtook his thoughts. He thought of how she laughed and how it made his stomach churn in nervousness, wondering if she was laughing about him, how he made her feel. Also, how when she smiled, he wondered if it was because of him. He wished it was.<br>New York seemed like a pretty good offer at that moment. He would be able to be with Lea for... FOREVER if he went with her. He sat forward as he contemplated the thought of that further, more in depth. Darren LIKED the idea the more he thought about it.  
>His mind was working quickly now. He literally jumped off the couch, dropping his beer bottle on the floor, hearing it crash into a million pieces. He didn't care; he'd pick it up later.<br>Running into his bedroom, he stopped in his tracks, trying to remember where he had last seen his laptop. He shut his eyes hard and muttered to himself, "Come on, where is it..." After another minute of thinking of anywhere he could have placed it, he snapped his eyes open and ran over to his bedside table. Pushing a few items off the top, he grabbed the computer and ran back into the living room.  
>It took forever for it to boot up and he got so impatient that he started to pace back and forth. "WHAT THE HELL?" he yelled at the laptop. Nothing, and he meant NOTHING, was going right for him that day.<br>He ruffled his hair and stared at the screen as he finally had the option to choose the user. After clicking the one that said "Darren," he sat back down on the couch, careful not to come in contact with the glass that was scattered everywhere. He double-clicked on the Internet shortcut on the desktop and typed in "new york apartments."  
>There were so many results that his mind took a little longer to process the titles as he ran his eyes down the page. He clicked on one of the first links on the page. A whole archive of apartment building listings showed up on the page. Suddenly the offer seemed BETTER... Could this REALLY work?<br>It would have to. 


	3. Chapter 3

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Darren woke up early the next morning. He had a lot to do. The sun shone through his curtains just enough to make his room a light yellow color. He laid in the middle his king size bed, smiling to himself. His plan was brilliant, and he couldn't wait to put it into action.  
>Kicking the sheets off his legs, he swung them over the side of the bed and rubbed his eyes. He put on his glasses and jumped off the bed.<br>The lights in the living room were still on from the night before from when he fell asleep researching apartments. He remembered he was too tired to turn them off when he suddenly awoke and walked toward his bed.  
>He shuffled into the kitchen and made himself some Frosted Flakes. The kitchen table was only 4 steps away, but right then, the couch looked a lot more comfortable. He sat down heavily on the right end and grabbed the remote from the table near him.<br>Pressing the ON button, he saw the news. Nothing interesting. He flipped mindlessly through the thousands of channels Direct TV had. Eventually he came along "Glee." He stopped and looked for a minute. Little did he realize he was watching the episode called, "Blame It On the Alcohol." The show had just come back on from a commercial, and he saw a spinning bottle.  
>A sinking feeling formed in his stomach. "Oh, God..." he whispered to himself as it showed the bottle landing on Chord. He kissed Heather, and Naya jumped in saying something drunkenly about how "Sam" was HER boyfriend.<br>It was funny how he knew what was coming next, but his stomach still jumped in anticipation. "Rachel"... Lea... Spun the bottle and it landed on him. His eyes got big as he yelled out in happiness.  
>On the tv, Darren leaned in to Lea, prepared to kiss her. He remembered that moment exactly. The feelings he he felt weren't actually acting. They were what he really felt in the moment. He kissed her once, smiling and laughing while he breathed. But when he went in for the second kiss, his face morphed into seriousness.<br>His eyes shut tight and he actually enjoyed the kiss. He slightly bit his lower lip as he kissed her again, more passionately this time. He remembered how his hormones were raging, how he felt so... ALIVE in that moment. That kiss was real. True passion.  
>Every feeling came rushing back. He couldn't make himself wait any longer. The plan had to start now. The anticipation was killing him. He picked up his phone from the opposite side of the couch and looked up Lea's number.<br>As soon as he pressed SEND, his heart started pounding uncontrollably and his whole body felt like it was going to explode. He started to tap his foot rapidly, waiting on her to pick up. 5...6... He counted the number of rings that he heard. "Hello you've reached Lea's phone. Sorry, I can't pick up right now but I'll get back to you as soon as I can!"  
>Her voice was like a choir of angels singing in harmony. He could listen to it all day if he had the chance. He hadn't even realized that the recorded message had ended and it was HIS turn to talk. "Uhhh..." he stuttered, but then he hung up as quick as his hands would let him.<br>Letting out a huge breath and running his hand through his messy hair, he let his mind wander to all the possibilities. She could be busy, or still asleep. Or... she could be ignoring him.  
>He set down his phone next to him on the couch as he forced the last thought out of his mind. After he decided to just wait until she called him back, his phone rang. He stopped all movement before he took a look at the name on the screen. "LEA" was all it read. He swallowed hard before picking it up and sliding the answer bar to talk to her.<br>"Hello?" he asked, although he already knew who it was. His voice sounded rough. He cleared his throat loudly, and so he could barley hear what Lea said back to him. It sounded like a quiet, "Hey."  
>"So..." he said hesitantly.<br>"So..." she returned.  
>"Listen, Lea, I'm so sorry about yesterday. How I treated you, and just walked out. I feel like such a dick. I shouldn't have done that, and, and..." he tried to think of anything else he could say, but all that came to mind was that he was sorry.<br>"Can we talk about this... This New York deal? Um, so last night, after thinking about it deeper in detail, I decided that it would be really great to go to New York with you. I mean, if that's still okay with you. I wouldn't want to impose-" he said, trying to be as much of a gentleman as possible.  
>"Dare, hold up." Lea said as she cut him off mid-sentence. (He was glad she had switched back to using his nickname.) "About, um, the NY thing... I would... I would LOVE for you to come."<br>He was shocked to hear her say that. "R-Really?" he asked, his smile detectable in his tone of voice.  
>"Yes, Mr. Criss." Lea answered him gleefully. "That sounds wonderful." She cleared her throat. "But Dare, I need to tell you something... I don't know how to say this, but it's a moving show."<br>Confused, Darren didn't answer back for several lengthy seconds. "What's a moving show...?" he asked her, puzzled.  
>She breathed heavily before answering him. "It's a show that is practiced in New York and performed there for a few shows... But then it moves around. Going to different places, in and out of countries... You know..."<br>He was dumbstruck by her words. Silence was overtaking the conversation on Darren's end. He had no idea what to say. A TRAVELING show? That was just... too much to ask from him.  
>"What... What the HELL were you thinking Lea? Did you just plan to tell me this after I was on the plane with you? That I would have to move around with you everywhere? That I couldn't make a life anywhere without it being ripped out from under me after a few months? That I couldn't see you unless I moved around constantly? REALLY, Lea?" His voice had risen to a scream as he finished his argument."<br>He heard her take in a sharp breath, absorbing every stabbing word that escaped his lips. "You know what? Forget it. I'm sure as hell not going to waste my life with a liar."  
>Darren hung up his phone and threw it across the room. He was so angry with her. How could she DO this to him? He let out a frustrated breath, along with a few stray tears. The hell with her. The hell with everything. He gave up.<p>

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The day was coming to a close. Darren had sat alone in his living room all day. He couldn't stop thinking about his conversation with Lea. Why was it so hard to get her out of his mind? She didn't matter anymore. Not after what she did to him.  
>But honestly, he couldn't shake the feeling that she thought she was doing the right thing. That traveling with him around the world would be a good thing for the both of them. But to Darren, she was wrong.<br>His mind still tried to wrap around the idea. But after thinking about it for a while, he had thought of all the befits. He would be able to see her every day, not just once a year. And he could see the world with the girl he loved. With every passing second, he realized more and more how much... FUN that would be.  
>He got to the point to where he had no choice but to give in. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't stop loving her.<br>Darren glanced at his watch. The digital display said 6:14. He still had enough time. Pouncing off the couch, he grabbed his phone and a sweatshirt. His keys were still on the table near the door, so he grabbed them also as he bounded out the door.  
>He ran toward his car and unlocked it. Everything was a flow of instinct. He started the car and quickly put it into reverse, backing down the short drive that lead to the main road. When he turned onto the highway, his mind flickered back to all the good things that had happened to him when he was with Lea.<br>How he felt when she was around. How, no matter what, she could bring a smile to his face. How he could just think about her flawless features for hours effortlessly. She meant a lot to him, and a stupid thing like traveling wasn't something that could keep them apart.  
>The airport came slowly into view after endless minutes of driving. He whipped into a parking spot near the front entrance. Shutting off the car, Darren jumped out and ran as fast as he could to the door, almost hitting an elderly woman. "Oh, I'm sorry ma'am!" he yelled back to her as he ran on.<br>He soon realized he had to find out where her terminal was. The huge screen that showed the departure times was dead in the center of the airport. His eyes made their way down the list, scanning for the letter "N." Nebraska, New Orleans, NEW YORK. The bolder name stuck out like a sore thumb to him. He ran his eyes horizontally across the screen, seeing the terminal number.  
>"Shit." he said to himself, seeing that it was number 36, the farthest one from where he was. He checked the time again, almost mindlessly. 6:45. "Shit, shit, shit!" he said again in frustration. He would be too late. It was over. But... the time aside, he could try and get there in time. What did he have to lose?<p>

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	4. Chapter 4

RUNNING.  
>He knew that this was it. Now or never. And for today, he chose now.<br>The unfamiliar faces blurred past Darren as he picked up speed, stretching his legs out as far as they could go. Leaps and bounds was more than just an expression to him now. It's what he was doing.  
>FASTER. FASTER.<br>The numbers over the terminals whizzed by in his peripheral vision. 28, 29, 30. He was getting closer, and he knew it. He pushed himself as hard as he could, running faster than ever before. The only motivation he had was a mental vision of Lea's face in his mind, and that's all the push he needed.  
>CLOSER. CLOSER. CLOSER.<br>32, 33, 34... Two more. He was trying so hard to keep up his pace, but his legs began to shake violently as his heart rate soared. If he had to run any longer, he was sure he would pass out.  
>RUNNING. RUNNING. RUNNING.<br>Out of breath. Exhausted. But relieved. He saw her.  
>Lea had all of her pink Chanel bags packed, ready to leave L.A. just in time to catch her 7 o'clock sharp flight. From this far away, she looked like she packed light, with only two suitcases and a carry-on.<br>This was it... He could barley stop himself from crashing into her. She was standing last in line, and when he reached her, he was covered in sweat and breathing heavily. He was sure all the others in line were extremely surprised by his sudden appearance. As was Lea.  
>"Dare, what are you..." she asked him in total shock. Her eyes were wide open, and so was her mouth.<br>"Lea, listen to me." he said, out of breath. He gasped for air before he continued to speak, placing his hands on her shoulders. "I came here, because today, I realized just how much you mean to me. When I was sitting alone in my apartment, I couldn't stop thinking about you. Even though I was super pissed off at you for lying to me, I realized that my life without you is... nothing. Just, nothing at all. Without you I have no life, nothing to live for. Please, please say you forgive me."  
>Lea looked deep into his eyes. She knew he meant what he said. "Dare, of COURSE I forgive you. But... I still have to go to New York..."<br>Darren swallowed hard and smiled. He had already thought the answer for that over so many times. "I don't care where the hell you go, I'll be right there beside you, every damn step of the way... But under one condition." he said matter-of-factly.  
>"And what's that...?"<br>He got down on one knee and proceeded with what he had wanted to say from the moment he met her.  
>"Marry me, Lea Michele. Marry me, and never let me go, because I won't let you go."<br>A huge smile spread across Lea's face as she answered him. "Yes, Mr. Criss. That sounds wonderful."  
>At that Darren jumped up from the ground and engulfed Lea in a huge bear hug. "I love you." he whispered to her.<br>"Always have, always will." she replied with a smile.  
>He pulled away from the hug to kiss her. His mouth hit hers hard, and it was like they were suddenly one person. Their future together was just beginning. That feeling was exhilarating. To know that they were to be together. Forever.<p>

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COMPLETE. That was the only word that could describe Darren during that moment. He felt complete. Like he had been missing a part of him for the longest time, and had finally found it after a long, exhausting search.  
>That, was it.<p>

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End file.
